Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Recent polling by the Pew Research Center
looks at how America has changed, an observation that has become particularly
apparent in this election cycle that has seen American voters back candidates
that are solidly anti-political establishment. Let's look at how both sides
of the political spectrum view life in America today, whether they feel that their lives have become
better or worse and link their viewpoints on specific issues to their political leanings and presidential candidate of choice.

Overall, 46 percent of
registered voters of all political stripes state that life in America has
become worse than it was 50 years ago with 34 percent stating that life is
better and 14 percent stating that life is about the same. A substantial
66 percent of Republican and right-leaning voters believe that life for
Americans has become worse compared to only 28 percent of Democrat and
left-leaning voters who believe that life has worsened over the past five
decades as shown on this graphic:

Let's break it down
further. Here's how Republican and right-leaning voters compare life
today to life 50 years ago broken down by who they supported as the Republican
presidential candidate:

In large part, this
explains why there seems to be so much publicly expressed anger among Trump followers; three
quarters of them believe that life has become worse compared to only 13 percent
who believe that life has improved over the past half century.

Here's how Democrat and
left-leaning voters compare life today to life 50 years ago broken down by who
they support as the Democrat presidential candidate:

While the divide among
voters who lean to the Democratic side of the political system isn't as great
as it is in the case of the Republicans, one-third of Bernie Sanders'
supporters believe that they are worse off now than they were 50 years ago
compared to less that one-quarter of Hillary Clinton's supporters.

If we compare how voters
feel about key issues, their feelings vary substantially with who they support:

1.) Immigrants are a
burden on America:

Trump - 69 percent yes

Clinton - 17 percent yes

Sanders - 14 percent yes

Overall, 57 percent of
registered voters say that immigrants strengthen American society while 35
percent say that they are a burden.

2.) U.S. Muslims should
be subject to more scrutiny:

Trump - 64 percent yes

Clinton - 22 percent yes

Sanders - 12 percent yes

3.) Angry with the
government:

Trump - 50 percent yes

Clinton - 6 percent yes

Sanders - 13 percent yes

4.) U.S. global
involvement makes things worse:

Trump - 38 percent yes

Clinton - 28 percent yes

Sanders - 45 percent yes

Among all voters, 60
percent state that global problems would be worse without U.S. involvement
compared to 34 percent who feel that American efforts to solve global problems
usually end up making things worse.

5.) Free trade is good
for America:

Trump - 27 percent yes

Clinton - 58 percent yes

Sanders - 55 percent yes

6.) The economic system
favours powerful interests:

Trump - 61 percent yes

Clinton - 73 percent yes

Sanders - 91 percent yes

7.) It is government's
responsibility to ensure that all Americans have health care:

Trump - 14 percent yes

Clinton - 77 percent yes

Sanders - 82 percent yes

It is interesting to see
that three-quarters of Hillary Clinton's voting backers believe that the
economic system favours powerful interests, particularly in light of the
Clinton family's multi-million dollar speech-making industry, many of which
have been given to the largest and most powerful corporations in America.

Let's close with how
registered voters feel about which candidate would make the best president on a
great to terrible spectrum:

Bernie Sanders:

10 percent great

26 percent good

20 percent average

15 percent poor

21 percent terrible

Hillary Clinton:

11 percent great

22 percent good

20 percent average

16 percent poor

30 percent terrible

Donald Trump

10 percent great

16 percent good

12 percent average

15 percent poor

44 percent terrible

Bernie Sanders has the
top rating when it comes to average or better at 56 percent compared to Hillary
Clinton at 53 percent and Donald Trump at 38 percent. When looked at from
the poor or worse side, Donald Trump comes in first (or last depending on your viewpoint) at 59 percent, Hillary
Clinton comes in second at 46 percent and Bernie Sanders comes in first at 36
percent.

Voter frustration has
rarely been as apparent as it has become during the 2016 election cycle.
A substantial percentage of American voters feel let down by their
political and economic systems and are becoming increasingly skeptical
that the political system will ever improve, making it highly unlikely that voter turnout will ever exceed the 60 percent level, a
level that was last seen in 1968.

5 comments:

By the time people are old enough to remember life 50 years ago, they can't remember that far back. But that is not the point I suppose, if people believe they are worse off, they will act and vote accordingly.

As for the 3 candidates ratings, it sounds like voter turnout will be a very large factor. If Mr Trump can get 100% of his base voters angry enough, they will all turn up to vote and he wins. Clinton has a decided disadvantage here, as she is seen as part of the system. Having 100% of typical democrat voters angry, means a good many will be angry with her.

If Clinton gets the nomination, which I suspect she will, if she's smart, she'll offer Bernie a very high cabinet position that allows him to have influence on the economy. If Bernie accepts, then she'll grab a large percentage of Bernie's supporters.

Clinton will not do that. Clinton has her people and those people will get the positions, Bernie is not of one them. You will see neocons galore in her cabinet. Much of Bernie's support (me being one of them) is more about anti Clinton then pro Bernie. Although Bernie is right much more often then he is wrong when you look at his voting history. He has foresight. @ Political Junkie what difference does voter turn out matter if the choice is Clinton or Trump? I honestly think I'd rather just have another 4 years of Obama's lies. After Bush I didn't think we could do any worse but then we got Obama. But as bad as he has been I think he will end up better then Clinton or Trump.

Subscribe To

About Me

I have been an avid follower of the world's political and economic scene since the great gold rush of 1979 - 1980 when it seemed that the world's economic system was on the verge of collapse. I am most concerned about the mounting level of government debt and the lack of political will to solve the problem. Actions need to be taken sooner rather than later when demographic issues will make solutions far more difficult. As a geoscientist, I am also concerned about the world's energy future; as we reach peak cheap oil, we need to find viable long-term solutions to what will ultimately become a supply-demand imbalance.